


Shakedown

by BlueLionWrites



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blackmail, Bloodshed, Codependency, Don Levi, Dysfunctional Family, Exhibitionism, Fluff, Guns, Intimidation, Kidnapping, Kissing, Knives, M/M, Mafia AU, Murder, Neck Kissing, Possessive Eren Yeager, Possessive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sad, Serious Injuries, Threats, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-17 06:14:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLionWrites/pseuds/BlueLionWrites
Summary: Shakedown: Another word for extortion/blackmail, or the obtaining of a good or service through means of force, threats/intimidation, or abuse of power.Levi is the head of the Scouts, the largest Mafia group in Las Vegas, he’s ruthless and coldblooded but has a soft spot for Eren, his lover. When Eren is taken away by the Titans, the rival Mafia group, Levi will rain down Hell on Earth in order to get his lover back. When he receives a call that asks his surrender for Eren’s exchange, Levi agrees but there is one thing that Eren will not tolerate and that is anyone who dares stand between him and Levi.DISCONTINUED





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I am kinda unsure about posting this, I have the first two chapters written and am currently working on the third, I intend for it to be rather short so it's probably a little fast-paced considering the word-count.
> 
> If this is complete and utter garbage, don't hesitate to tell me or if you want more, please let me know (.-.) 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own SnK or its characters, all rights are exclusive to the original creator. This work is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own. 
> 
> P.S. There will be smut if I update this work

“You should be more careful Mr Ackerman, caught this guy trying to whack you and the bouncy red-haired girl but don’t worry, I took care of him for ya” A cheerful voice sounded beside Levi, causing him to cock his head and reach fro his gun that was nestled in its holster at his hip.

The owner of the voice stepped from the shadows, resting casually against the wall looking much the part of a street rat compared to Levi who was impeccably well dressed. A chocolate brown haired male, several years younger than Levi with a cheeky grin, eyes that glinted like sea glass and clothes that were soaked in blood, spinning a hunting knife expertly between his fingers in a mesmerizing display now stood beneath the streetlight. 

The moonlight struggled from between the thick smog that hung over the city, barely illuminating the alley the brunette had emerged from but it, combined with the light from the streetlamp gave Levi a clear enough view of the carnage that had been wreaked by the still grinning brunette, the body laying almost unrecognizable, bent in ways the human body weren’t designed for and appearing as though he’d been gangbanged by a cheese-grater.

“Is that your handiwork brat? Which family do you belong to?” Levi asked curiously, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms over his chest, captivated by the blood encrusted brunette. 

“Sure is, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty Mr Ackerman. I’m not part of any family, my mother was forced to serve as the goomah for the Don of the Beasts, they’ve had a hit out on me since she died” Eren explained, continuing to flick the blade back and forth between his fingers with ease. Well that explained how he knew Levi’s name, having ties to another mafia group. 

His eyes darted up and he threw the blade, it grazed lightly passed Levi’s ear and buried itself in the eye of a rival crew member that was trying to get the drop on him and Eren just smiled angelically, brushing passed Levi, who for once was struck dumb, and pulling his blade from the twitching body that now dirtied the dark street.

***

That’s how Eren ended up coming home with Levi, dragged through the streets of downtown Vegas and into the Don’s luxury apartment where he was bathed, fed and pleasured until he begged for mercy. The pair spent months together and as time passed, their bond became solidified and the two of them were always found side by side, forming a co-dependency that was deadly to anyone that dared separate them.

They were a fierce duo and after a year it was like Eren had always been a Scout, getting on famously well with Levi’s outfit, especially Isabel, the Don’s younger sister for all intent and purposes. 

Levi Ackerman was a dangerous man with a temper shorter than his stature and eyes so sharp they could cut through diamonds, he was the head of the Scouts, the largest underground mafia in Las Vegas and had been running it since before he was legal to drink. 

He held no regard for the law, was a ruthless killer with an insatiable bloodlust for those that did him wrong and ruled the Scouts with an iron fist, rewarding those who were loyal and slaughtering those who dared hurt those most precious to him and when Eren came into his life, something inside of him softened slightly and after months upon months of time had passed, he finally let the young man into his heart instead of just his bed. 

Eren was cocky and so full of life, it was hard not to be drawn in by him, he had a boyish charm and a bloodlust that matched Levi’s own but he was also very sensitive and fiercely protective of his family, as time drew on, he showed a particular affinity for Levi and his crew, putting himself in harm’s way time and time again in order to keep them safe. 

They had been together ever since, sharing a bond that no one could ever match nor hope to replicate, not even Levi and his right-hand were a match for the bond that tied the raven and the brunette together. Eren was fiercely loyal and fearless in the face of the countless foes the Scouts faced, he served as an envoy for the Scouts, attending meetings in Levi’s stead and wiping any of their enemies off the board without a trace of remorse.

Farlan Church served as Levi’s underboss, handling the family and the majority of the affairs and was wedded to Isabel Magnolia after being together for most of their life, the pair almost as close as Levi and Eren. 

Farlan, Isabel and Levi’s crew, which consisted of a dirty blonde giant with a nose like a bloodhound, named Mike and Hanji, a glasses-wearing scientist with an affinity for weaponry and explosives as well as Erwin who was ranked as the consigliere, specialising most in keeping everyone alive and formulating the best courses of action against oppositions, accepted Eren with open arms, nicknaming him “Moglie”, the Italian word for wife considering Eren’s relationship with their leader and the fact that mafia history held a strong Italian history. 

Eren served as an envoy for the Scouts, going to and from meetings with opposing clans discussing negotiations in Levi’s stead but mostly he attended missions, loving the thrill of watching someone who raised a gun to his lover tremble in fear as Eren wielded a blade, doing maximum damage to their body until they drowned in their own blood.

There was something about a fresh kill that drove both Levi and Eren insane with lust, fucking roughly and bloodily against the first available surface they found, leaving Eren dripping with come and too sore to sit comfortably for a week.

Whenever they weren’t out, one could always find Eren sitting across Levi’s lap, legs dangling across one of the armrests of the throne-like chair, kissing and licking at the Don’s throat no matter whom else was in the room. Eren was typically donned in silken robes that exposed his long tan legs, a thin, black leather collar clasped around his neck, indicative of their bond. 

Currently, Levi sat in his usual seat, Eren draped across him and pressing soft kisses and nips to the skin of his throat as Levi rubbed teasing circles on his innermost thigh as the Don discussed new negotiations to be taken up with the businesses in the area that the Scouts owned.

The man sitting in front of them was morbidly overweight, balding and had a thick moustache, he was emitting a foul odor and had a half-smoked cigar dangling from the remaining few teeth he had left. He was rattling on about the debt he owed to the Scouts and how he’d need more time to pay it off than the agreed upon date, Levi simply listened disinterestedly with a bored expression on his face and a raised eyebrow, paying more attention to his lover than the pig in front of him.

“Hey Mr Ackerman, we’re family aren’t we? How much could I pay to spend the night with the little whore in your lap, he’s such a pretty little thing” the pig licked his lips and grazed his eyes over Eren’s exposed skin, causing the brunette’s lip to curl in disgust. Levi had gone rigid beneath Eren, every muscle tensed and an expression of pure fury was masked under a pleasant smile.

“Go on Pet, tell him the payment for asking such a thing” Levi chuckled darkly, watching as the brunette slid from his lap, silk robe dipping low off his shoulders and only just covering the bare skin beneath. With a glint of silver, Eren drew his favourite blade from where it was hidden in the sleeve of his robe, bringing it down with lightning force precision into the back of the pig’s hand, pinning it to the armrest of the chair. 

He let out a scream of pain as blood flowed down his hand and dripped to the floor, watching on in horror as the brunette made his way back into the Don’s lap, straddling him and capturing one other’s lips in a fierce kiss. Levi’s hand made its way beneath Eren’s silk robe, fingers dancing across his skin as he stroked the brunette’s hardening length.

The pig could do nothing more than watch as they kissed and as the brunette gyrated in the Don’s lap, grinding down and letting soft whimpers fall from his lips. His head ducked down to press kisses to Levi’s neck, muffling the pleasured sounds, entirely uncaring of the bleeding man merely six feet from them.

Levi’s eyes were like liquid mercury as they flicked up from over Eren’s shoulder, fixing pointedly on the injured man, “If you don’t pay your debt by the agreed upon date, you will severely regret the consequences. Now get out of my sight, I have my lovers needs to tend to” his words were like venom and the pig scrambled to obey, pulling the blade from his hand with a pained cry and letting it clatter on the floor, stumbling from his seat.

“Oh and Mr Wald, if I catch wind of you ratting us out to anyone, especially the Titans, I’ll personally see to it that your dick be cut off and rammed up your ass while you’re still breathing. That’s a promise” Levi smirked and waved him off, chuckling lowly as the man took off running.

“Levi” Eren whined, bucking his hips into the Don’s lightly enclosed fist, drawing his attention back to the needy brunette in his lap. 

“I’m sorry brat, let me make it up to you” he brought his hand up to Eren’s mouth and the brunette immediately leant forward, tongue darting out to slicken Levi’s palm. When he deemed it wet enough, he brought his hand back down to Eren’s length, fingers curling nimbly around the heavy hardness, thumb reaching up to drag teasingly across the slit as he leant down to cover Eren’s neck in possessive bruises. 

Watching Eren come undone beneath his hands, lips, teeth and tongue was a blessing to behold. The way his back arched and his hair became even more unruly, how moans and whimpers and pleas tumbled from his lips, uncaring of who heard him, the way he uttered Levi’s name like a prayer and the face he made as he reached release, begging for Levi to take him until he couldn’t walk.

A knock sounded at the door, halting their personal time together. Eren slipped from Levi’s lap and crossed the room, pulling open the door and grinning as one of the young cugines stood at the door, blushing at the state of Eren’s bruised neck, disheveled hair, kiss-swollen lips and rather obvious erection tenting the front of his robe. 

“Can I help you? We were kinda busy” Eren chuckled, patting the boy on the shoulder and stepping aside to allow him entry and pushing the door shut behind him. 

“Ah sorry Moglie, I have an urgent phone call for Don Levi” he said, puffing his chest out proudly. Levi beckoned him forward and held out his hand to accept the phone, nodding his thanks as the boy trotted joyfully from the room, leaving Eren to smirk in amusement at the cugine and how happy he seemed completing such a simple task.

“Speaking” Levi’s deep voice sounded throughout the room, causing a small shiver to go through Eren as he moved to sit aside Levi, head resting on the Don’s thigh and almost purring as a hand immediately came down to card through his hair.

“We know about your little whore Ackerman, your little friend Mr Wald was more than happy to rat you out for the right price. You don’t know us but we certainly know you and we’re going to destroy you piece by piece, starting with your lover” the call cut out and Levi snarled, throwing it across the room and watching with minor satisfaction as it shattered to pieces causing Eren looked up at him with concern.

“Levi, what happened? Who was on the phone?” Eren asked curiously, pulling himself up from the ground to stand in between Levi’s legs, concern growing as the Don wrapped his arms around Eren’s waist, burying his face against the silk robe against his stomach.

“I don’t know who was on the phone Moglie but whoever it was won’t live to see the light of day if they lay a finger on you. I dare him to try and take you away from me, I’ll slaughter anyone who tries” he growled lowly, muscles tense and

Eren scratched his nails against Levi’s undercut, offering soothing sounds and reassurances that he wasn’t going anywhere and that come hell or high water, should anything happen, he would always find his way back to Levi.

Levi growled and stood up, sweeping Eren off his feet and out through the door, carrying him down the winding hallways to their shared quarters and barely bothering to kick the door shut as he tossed Eren on the bed, covering his body and grinding their hips together. 

“You are mine Moglie, if anyone lays a hand on you, they’ll be dead before they hit the ground” 

Eren surged up, arms wrapping around Levi’s shoulders and pulling him down to smash their lips together in a fierce kiss, teeth clacking against one another, blood drawn from bitten lips and tongues begged one another for entrance, both gasping as they finally connected, tracing over every ridge and line of each other’s mouth, finally meeting to press against one another in a battle for dominance. 

“I’m yours Levi, always” Eren gasped when they broke apart to draw breath, hands coming down to untie the silken sash that barely covered his modesty, letting it fall open and baring himself for Levi and Levi alone.


	2. Chapter 2

A year passed without incident and Levi was hyper-vigilant as always, hating to have Eren out of his sight for any length of time, fearing the worst would happen.

Levi prided himself on his renowned ability to remain cool and seemingly careless in the face of any situation he was dealt but he harbored a thinly contained rage that threatened to escape at every passerby who dared rake their eyes over his lover.

Jealousy would always be one of the Don’s largest faults, even with the knowledge that worrying about anyone else taking Eren from him was unnecessary as his brunette with eyes that glistened like sea-glass were entirely centered on Levi. 

They lit up every time the raven entered the room and Levi was the only one allowed to lay his hands on Eren’s skin, something that he refused to accept from anyone else; not even his own sister who Eren shared a particularly close bond with.

The aforementioned brunette was currently at work, serving as a waiter in a high-class lounge and bar that was nestled amongst chain retail stores, a news agency, a bakery and a string of large casinos, somehow fitting in amongst the eclectic mix of stores that lined the stretch of road that marked the centre of their city.

Realistically there was no reason for him to work, having a more than comfortable life by Levi’s side but he insisted, telling Levi that he wanted to do anything he could to help and the lounge was frequented by members of the Titans, the opposing mafia group that rebelled fiercely against the Scouts, seemingly uncaring of the amount of corpses that were sent back to them as their members were slaughtered.

Eren’s work was entirely undercover and he had no fear, doubting anyone would know him even after Wald ratting them out, they only had the basic description of Levi’s lover and they knew not of his identity, so Eren did what he could, blending into the background as a humble waiter, collecting any stray pieces of information that made it’s way to his ears and relayed it back to Levi and his crew. 

At this moment, Levi stood in his kitchen on the other side of town, admiring the dazzling view of the night time goings-on of Las Vegas dappling his apartment in coloured hues of light as he tended to the meat searing in the fry pan. His sleeves rolled to his elbows and a crisp white apron was tied around his neck and waist, protecting the expensive attire, preparing dinner for his lover who was always ravenous after working such long hours. 

The domesticity of cooking a meal for his lover was comfortable to him by now giving him the opportunity to feel almost normal, not the young prodigy of Kenny Ackerman, his predecessor, not the leader of the Scouts, simply Levi, a man in love that was cooking a simple meal for his partner, something that the feisty brunette found extremely endearing. 

As he finished cooking, the meal was transferred from their cooking vessels onto two ceramic dishes, covered with foil and placed into the stainless steel oven to stay warm, proceeding to clean as a manner of calming the raging sea of thoughts that invaded his mind, mostly centering around Eren and whether or not he was alright, the phone call from the year prior always had him on edge, wondering when their promised attack would take place. 

At the sound of his mobile’s ringtone, the song Hey Blue Eyes sounded, signifying his lover, Levi dropped the tea-towel he was holding and pulled the pink rubber glove from his hand, pressing answer and raising the phone to his ear.

“Eren?” 

At first, no response came and then the rather distressed voice of his lover sounded over the line.

“Hey Levi, can you come and get me?” the brunette croaked, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears, a small sniffle sounded from the other end of the line which caused Levi to see red, wanting to know what had happened that had caused his beloved’s sadness.

“Of course brat, I’m on my way” he murmured softly, anger not directed at his lover but at the person that had upset his Eren who would soon regret ever doing such a thing. Levi pulled the other glove from his hand and shucked his apron, grabbing his keys and taking the elevator from his spacious apartment down to the underground garage.

Within minutes of leaving the garage, Levi was brought to a standstill, hands drumming impatiently on the steering wheel and blood beginning to boil as he was continually brought to a stop by the driver ahead of him who paid little attention to the road, driving 20k’s below the speed limit and taking an eon to find the accelerator as the lights switched from red to green.

After what felt like an eternity, Levi finally pulled into the staff parking lot behind the lounge, breaks squealing as he came to a stop, car parked inelegantly over two spaces and heart pounding, He threw off his seat belt, wrenched the keys from the ignition, shoved open the door and crossed the lot bursting in through the back doors that lead out from the kitchen and maneuvered his way around easily, uncaring of the protests of the cook staff that demanded he get out as he searched for his lover, finally locating him hidden away in the last stall of the empty bathroom. 

“Eren?”

Rustling sounded from behind the closed door and the lock clicked allowing Levi to push open the door, revealing a rather disheveled Eren, with tear tracks staining his cheeks, hair sticking up six ways from Sunday as the result of fingers carding through it repeatedly and his eyes were downcast, avoiding Levi’s gaze.

Normally the idea of touching anything in a public restroom was abhorrent to the raven but right now his Eren needed him more than his compulsive need for cleanliness. Kneeling down in front of the brunette, Levi held the other male’s hands in his own, pressing tender kisses to the unblemished skin. 

“I lost my job Levi” Eren surged forward, dropping to the ground and burying his face against Levi’s chest as a wave of guilt washed over him. “I know that me working here was helpful to you and I didn’t want to disappoint you” Eren confessed, the words muffled as he buried his face into the crook of Levi’s neck, fresh tears streaming down his face and soaking into the raven’s dress-shirt. 

“Don’t worry about it brat, I’m not disappointed in you, just tell me what happened” he was concerned about the brunette’s emotions, unused to seeing him in such an upset state. 

“One of the customers; a woman, she kept grabbing me… between my legs and my ass… I asked her to stop repeatedly but she refused to stop… so I tipped an entire jug of red lemonade on her head” Eren mumbled sheepishly.

Eren hated to be touched, only allowing Levi such a courtesy and this woman had invaded his space and pawed at someone who clearly didn’t belong to her. If he wasn’t so furious with the woman who dared lay her fingers on his beloved, Levi would have chuckled at Eren’s reaction to the groping by pouring soda atop her head. 

Albeit upset and filled with concern and guilt that Levi would think less of him for losing his job, his Eren was a spitfire but the time for praise was later. Internally Levi rejoiced, able to finally have his lover back home with him where he carried out operations, where he could watch over Eren and keep him from harm. 

“I’ll be back soon brat. The car is parked in the back lot, wait for me there” Levi pressed a chaste kiss to Eren’s forehead and set out of the bathroom, crossing through the lounge area, entirely uncaring of the amount of eyes on him and the harsh whispers as he made his way to the front exit in search of the woman.

He found her standing curbside, dripping wet with her hair matted to her head in places and lemonade dripping down her dress that was once presumably white, waiting for a cab that would take her. Levi saw red at the sight of her and crossed the pavement, barely glancing to see if there were any onlookers as he grabbed her hair and dragged her into the alleyway next to the lounge, shoving her against the filthy alley wall with more force than was strictly necessary, gaining a sick satisfaction at the crack that resounded as her skull connected with the brick.

“If you ever touch what doesn’t belong to you again, I’ll cut your hands off as a reminder, do you understand?” Levi growled possessively. 

She nodded her head and let out a fearful sob, body trembling as he let go, not bothering to look back at her as he strolled back through the restaurant and out the back exit. Years of training had taught Levi to always be on guard and his hackles were raised as soon as he entered the parking lot.

Levi drew his gun from its holster and flashlight from his pocket, wielding both in search of evidence at the seemingly undisturbed scene that lay before in, otherwise resembling the same lot he’d left in such a hurry. His car was seemingly fine, having no dents or scratches but one quick glance through the window told him that Eren was nowhere to be found. Fresh tire tracks were burned into the asphalt, caused by a driver that was trying to leave with haste, the smell of burning rubber still pungent in the air and the evidence concluding that someone had taken Eren from him, right under his nose. 

A deadly calm washed over Levi, becoming hyper-vigilant and more focused as he called for someone to pick him up and to arrange for his car to be towed and checked over, not willing to risk being blown to pieces should someone have placed an explosive device in the vehicle.

***

“Big Bro, calm down. Eren can more than handle himself. We’ll find him, I promise. Hanji, Erwin and Mike are already out searching” his younger sister, for all intent and purposes, Isabel said, trying to sooth her older brother who was currently pacing the length of his apartment, only stopping to stick his fist through the drywall in frustration, it had already been an hour since Eren’s disappearance and he was growing steadily more agitated.

A shrill ringing interrupted his pacing and Levi slammed the answer button, “What?”

“Hello Mr Ackerman, do you remember me? I told you we would take you down piece by piece and after close, careful observation; we’ve found that we can topple you with just your little whore as a bargaining chip because without him, you’ll be left floundering. Hasn’t anyone told you that codependency is unhealthy?” the nasally voice on the other end of the line sounded, emitting a creepy, almost childlike chuckle. 

“Oh my, you seem to be under the impression I cared for the whore. I’m afraid you’re mistaken, see, it’s just a little fantasy I indulge him in, he allows me to do whatever I want to him if I play along” the words felt like acid as they fell from his lips and he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of ever doing such a thing. Isabel understood what he was doing, saying such things in order to protect Eren until they found him, if the caller thought Eren meant nothing to Levi then he’d be useless, it was a gamble because they may kill him instead, out of anger, or worse lay their hands on him and defile him. 

“You’re bluffing. You’re never going to see your little bitch again-” the man on the other end of the line sounded unsure of himself, leaving Levi to chuckle darkly. 

“I wouldn’t count on that Titan” Eren’s voice sounded in the background and Levi let out a chuckle, feeling instantly better at hearing his lover’s voice until a grunt of pain sounded and muffled cursing as someone kicked Eren in the gut. 

“If he means nothing to you like you say he does then we’ll do whatever we want with him. Maybe keep him around to service every one of my soldiers. If you surrender to us and allow us control of the city, you get your whore back mostly unharmed. You have an hour to decide. Meet us at Warehouse 104 on the pier”. The call cut out and Levi charged out of his apartment, Isabel hot on his heels, forgoing the car in order to hit the streets.

“The Titans have him and they want me to give myself up, give them control of the city. Find the others, surround the docks and take out anyone we know is a Titan, subdue anyone we aren’t sure about. I’m getting Eren back” Levi ordered and Isabel nodded her assent, taking off to the right in order to canvas the areas of downtown where the others were last seen heading.


	3. Chapter 3

Silver irises darted around to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, almost able to feel the presence of his squad that traversed the roofs with silent precision, guns focused on the tin exterior of Warehouse 104, poised to fire at anyone that was working with or for the Titans. 

“I’m here you bastards” Levi called out, tossing his gun to the gravel, sending it skittering a few yards away and raising his hands in surrender, standing out in the open, defenseless with a bright white floodlight illuminating his presence to anyone that bothered to look. Several minutes passed and Levi brought his arms down to his sides, seeing no sense in leaving them raised if no one was coming to accept his supposed surrender. 

He let out a low whistling tune, signifying his crew to disembark the rooftops and regroup beside him and after retrieving his gun and re-holstering it, Levi scaled the chain-link fence with graceful agility, brushing off his sleeves as he landed on the other side, darting nimbly across the way so his back as pressed to the tin siding of the warehouse, ears pricked for any hint of noise inside. 

For several minutes he waited, giving his crew time to disembark the buildings and scale the fence, sidling up beside him in a single file line, all with guns drawn and looks of determination on their faces as they awaited their next order. 

Levi crooked his fingers, beckoning them to follow as he entered through the rusted door, peering around the room that was cloaked in darkness, save for the light from the floodlight that peered through the various gaps and cracks in the walls and the few naked bulbs that swung low from the dilapidated ceiling, bathing small spaces of the warehouse in halo’s of yellow light.

The light provided enough illumination to give them hints of the gruesome scene that lay before them, fifteen or so bodies lay in various stages of destruction, some barely holding on as blood filled their lungs from stab wounds, others were groaning in pain with a multitude of broken bones and severe concussions, some lay dead on the ground bodies littered with bullet holes and some were struggling to their feet, guns raised in mangled hands, trying to defend whatever dignity they had left. 

Their shoes were slick-soled as Levi and his crew made their way through the warehouse, leaving bloody footprints in their wake. The Don’s eyes darted over every piece of human trash that lay spread across the warehouse floor; searching for Eren and praying that it was he who caused such carnage and not a third mafia group that had deigned to interfere. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you creampuff” Hanji sing-songed, skipping over to the trembling form of one of the mostly uninjured soldiers that had a gun raised to Levi, his only injuries appearing to be a broken nose and a nasty gash to his thigh. 

Levi crossed the room to stand beside Hanji, plucking the gun from between the man’s fingers and tossing it behind him to Erwin who flicked the safety on and pocketed it for later use.

“Now, you’re going to tell me where my Eren is, or I’m going to make your last moments very very painful for you” Levi snarled in the man’s ear, watching him tremble from the intimidation. 

He shook his head with fervor, not wanting to rat out his Don and have his life cut short should he survive this ordeal with the scouts. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear…” Levi snapped, hand raising from its place in the man’s collar to slide down his body, fingers curling until only his pointer and index finger remained.

He toyed with his upper thigh, watching as the men trembled, fearing what the Don had planned. A loud scream of pain echoed throughout the warehouse as Levi pressed his fingers inside the gash on his thigh, twisting and tearing through muscle, grinning maniacally as red flowed easily over his hand as he tore the gash open wider. 

“I will tear you apart limb from limb while you’re still breathing and feed you to your family members if you don’t tell me where Eren is” Levi yelled, digging his fingers deeper into the wound. He reholstered his gun and unsheathed a blade that glinted dully in the yellow light, it was deathly sharp and was a blade typically used for hunting. He withdrew it from where it was hidden inside the sheath on his innermost thigh, trailing the tip of the blade from the skin under the man’s eyes, down his nose to his naval and holding it to the man’s crotch. “How about I start here?” 

“Okay okay” the man cried out in surrender, letting out a shaking breath as Levi withdrew his fingers from the gnarled wound, wiping the blood on the man’s shirt and resheathing his blade, “They took him to the house on Legion Street”. 

“If I so much as find that you’ve lied to us, I’ll castrate you with a blunt butter knife” Hanji said cheerfully, grabbing the man by the scruff of his collar “Lead the way sunshine”

***

The warehouse backed onto the downtown slums of Las Vegas, the streets were littered with trash, graffiti covered every available surface and sounds of glass shattering, counts of domestic violence, racial slurs hurled between arguing neighbours and the hushed whispers of drug dealers and prostitutes selling their wares were some of the sounds that reached the crew’s ears as they made their way through the winding streets. 

The house he brought them to was rundown to say the least; the windows were boarded over, glass shards littering the exterior sills, the paint was blistered and peeling, the wrought iron embellishments were gnarled and rusted and the lawn was brown and overrun by weeds, it stood out no less than the other dilapidated houses that lined the entire street. 

Glass bottles littered the pathway and racial slurs, slogans and tags had been spray painted across the exterior. The smell of mould was heavy in the air and dead animals were hidden amongst the grass, emitting the odour of rotting flesh that tied the whole experience together. Cockroaches ran in herds across the front porch and the entire crew seemed entirely disgusted, all wearing matching looks of disgust at the scene before them. 

“Let me in, it’s Thomas, please” the man called, slamming his fists on the door. Without being told, his crew had spread out into two teams, flanking the sides of the house and searching for an alternate entrance entirely unknown to whoever sat inside. 

The door creaked open, revealing a badly injured Thomas and a deadly calm Levi who thrust the man, apparently named Thomas, into the woman that pulled open the door, sending them both sprawling. Levi was unable to help the small chuckle that sounded as they landed in a heap on the floor, Thomas, a dead-weight on top of her, allowing Levi an easy entrance. 

“Knock knock assholes, I’m here” Levi called out mockingly, gun positioned in front of him, poised to fire. Levi heard wind whip beside his head and ducked out of the way, turning on his heel to see the woman that had opened the door now trying to guard whoever was in the house.

She was no match for Levi, who disarmed her and kicked her to the ground, watching disinterestedly as she lay winded on her back, rats scurrying across her unmoving form. “Where is Eren?” he asked her and she averted her gaze with a snarl, Levi tsked and knelt down beside her, grabbing her wrists and pinning them together, eyes glinting dangerously as he dragged it down her forearms in turn, cutting through flesh with ease and reveling in the screams she emitted as blood flowed in rivers down her arms. 

He wiped his blade on her shirt and walked further into the house, a grunt of pain drawing his attention as he moved to investigate, breathing easier as he heard the familiar footsteps of Mike sound from the second floor of the house as he and Isabel searched the upper level for Eren. 

The hallway was long and went the length of the house, each room coming off from both sides, to the right of the front door there was a bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom, along the left side was another set of small bedrooms, a laundry and the living room which resided at the back of the house. 

Levi was standing in place and watched as another one of the men went flying from the kitchen, back slamming into the opposite wall and being put down with a quick shot to the head by Erwin who grinned at the Don and brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. 

Farlan was poised around back, guarding the back entrance from anyone who tried to run and Erwin stood further down the hall in Levi’s line of sight, leaving Hanji to guard the front door. A small light was emanating from the space that would be the living room if the house were occupied by actual tenants and Levi moved closer, back to the archway that lined the living room entrance, grimacing at the dead rats on the floor and the layer of dust that now coated his skin. 

Erwin flanked the opposite side of the archway and with a silent nod of their heads, both turned into the living room, Levi’s lip curled at the sight before him and turned his vision red; a man, all by himself, sat on the moth-eaten lounge, springs sticking from the mould-covered foam cushioning and the floral fabric was torn allowing the stuffing to spill forth in some places.

Eren was barely conscious, head lolling backwards and sea-glass eyes were hazed over, unseeing, his tongue felt too heavy for his mouth and as his eyes caught on Levi he tried to worm free from the grip that held him but his body refused to cooperate, too sluggish and unresponsive, only able to move his fingers at the most. 

The man was looking down at Eren, seemingly uncaring of the very furious Don that stood fuming merely feet away from his lover, fighting tooth and nail to stay still in case of any traps he could set off or the potential risk of this man causing further harm to Eren, when all he desperately wanted was to cradle his lover in his arms and hide him where no one else could ever lay a hand on him again. 

A set of glasses adorned the man’s face, shaggy blonde hair fell in waves to his shoulders and a beard adorned his face, eyes filled with fondness as he stared down at Eren unblinkingly. 

“He’s a fighter, he massacred those men without a moment’s hesitation” he hummed proudly, reaching a hand up to card through Eren’s sweat-dampened locks. The man had Eren in his lap, cradled against his chest like a newborn babe. 

“Who are you and what have you done to my Eren? So help me god, I will empty this entire clip into your fucking skull if you don’t give him back to me” Levi snarled, gum aimed directly at the perpetrator. 

The man simply glanced up at Levi, entirely unfased. 

“Oh how rude of me, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced Mr Ackerman. My name is Zeke Jaeger and I’m here to take my baby brother home”.


	4. Chapter 4

Levi glanced at Erwin who looked equally confused, shaking his head to denote that he knew nothing of the sort. Eren had never mentioned having a brother, Levi only knew of his older sister Mikasa that had been born before his mother was forced to serve as the goomah but she was in the wind, only dropping by every few months to see Eren. 

Levi and Eren were never ones to keep secrets from one another, they had communication down to an art form at this point and he would remember Eren telling him about a psychotic older brother and he stated as much to Zeke.

“Sweet Eren, he didn’t know of my existence but I knew of his. His mother served as the goomah for our father, the Don of the Beast’s and the Titans did me a favour, snatching him away from you so effortlessly but once Eren had eradicated them as well as some of my own soldiers unfortunately, it was easy to sweep in and collect him myself”.

“As fascinating as that all is, what do you think gives you the fucking right to put your filthy hands on him, he belongs to me and me alone. Tell me what you fucking did to him or I will kill you”. 

“Oh I’m not so sure about that Mr Ackerman. Running through Eren’s veins is a very powerful paralytic toxin that only I have the antidote to, if you kill me you lose your precious lover as well” Zeke chuckled and pulled Eren tighter against him.

Levi growled threateningly and withdrew his gun, he had no reason to trust Zeke and Zeke knew that but if there was a chance that he was telling the truth, Levi would be at risk of losing Eren and being the cause of his death. 

“What do you want in exchange for Eren and the antidote? Money? Power over the city?” Levi asked, signaling Erwin to leave the room and find the others and the blonde complied obediently albeit reluctantly with a curt nod of his head. If looks could kill, Zeke would be dead tenfold at the combined glares he received from both Levi and Erwin, who would do anything to get the Moglie back for his Don. 

Eren’s skin was slowly whitening; a stark contrast to the usual sun-kissed colour he was always blessed with, Levi took that to mean he didn’t have much time left before the toxin took over his system and its effects became irreversible. 

“You think I want something? Oh no Mr Ackerman, I want my baby brother to rule the Beasts by my side and I have my ways of assuring he does so almost willingly, in turn I will bare you no ill will and will leave you and the Scouts alone”

Fat chance, Levi thought with a scoff. He vowed silently to Eren that he would find him again and bring him home but for now, he had to let him go with Zeke or he’d never live to see Levi again. Levi stepped aside, eyes steeling with a glare that could melt flesh off of bone as Zeke rose from the couch, carrying Eren in his arms and out into the street, not bothering to look back as he placed Eren gently inside an awaiting vehicle. 

Silence fell as the car’s taillights disappeared from view, leaving his crew left standing shell-shocked as Eren slipped from their grasp once more and unable to do so much as lift a finger to stop it. They knew that for whatever reason, Levi had to let him go and wouldn’t do so without a damn good reason but it did nothing to lessen the shock. 

Levi dropped to his knees on the filthy porch, eyes unseeing as he tried to fight the flood of tears that threatened to fall, feeling utterly defeated. His chest ached something awful, as though his heart had been ripped out with someone’s bare hands and he let out an anguished howl to mask the sobs that had started to make their way unbidden from his throat, such weakness was unknown to him but the idea of a life without his love and of never seeing him again, left Levi feeling hollow.

“What the fuck Levi? Why did you let him go with that asshole?” Isabel yelled, tears of her own welling in her eyes. 

Eren was undoubtedly her best friend, the pair often found reading books, running down the aisles of groceries stores like overgrown children or partaking in activities together that no one else enjoyed like trips to the large shopping outlets that cloaked the city and dates to watch the latest chick-flicks at the cinema, and she was just forced to stand by as some stranger took him away and drove off, no one else lifting a finger to help

“He poisoned Eren… didn’t have much time left… If I didn’t let them go, I would’ve lost Eren” Levi muttered, feeling nausea curl in his stomach at the thought of losing Eren permanently and the edges of vision turned black.

***

Everything was a blacked out blur and as things became focused and he could make out his surroundings, Levi realised where he was; in his own bed in his apartment, tucked beneath the covers. He rolled over to pull Eren against him, needing the physical reassurance his lover was there and as he did, his stomach dropped, forgetting that his brat was no longer by his side but in some unknown location with the asshole claiming to be his family. 

They, Levi and his crew, were Eren’s family, all sharing a bond with one another that far outweighed the blood-claim Zeke had staked upon Eren before taking him away. In a perfect reality he would have them all by his side, Eren would be home safe and sound, the ring Levi had chosen out would adorn his finger and they’d be blissfully happy, without the worries of rival mafia’s, losing one another in a gun fight, the constant adrenaline that coursed through their veins.

Generally, the mafia meant very little to Levi, it was simply a line of work that he had been gifted when his uncle and only living relative had been murdered. The job title allowed him riches, control over the city without the knowledge of its civilians and countless foes to leave slain upon the ground.

Without the mantle he’d been bestowed, there was a slim chance any of his crew would have come into contact, some being made men, others volunteering, some had important lives before the Scouts swept in and took it away from them but Levi wouldn’t change it, he wouldn’t have his family otherwise and he probably never would have crossed paths with Eren, a concept that made his stomach drop with unease.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the soft grey hue of the ceiling, moonlight filtering in from the floor to ceiling window that lined the furthermost wall and bathing the room in an eerie white glow, it was almost beautiful but without Eren, the large space felt empty. 

His entire world had been tipped on its axis, leaving the Titans correct in their threat, that one they took Eren from him, everything would crumble. It was as if everything had shifted and now lay severely off-kilter, threatening to throw Levi into an abyss of unbridled despondency. 

For over two years, they had shared this bed, this room, had had petty arguments over the state of it and how Eren’s clothes were always strewn across every available surface. Echoes of their time spent arguing, the nights they spent entangled with one another making love as storms rolled across the city skyline when rain streamed down the window and the rough, bloody, animalistic fucking that occurred after they had killed someone who had it coming, leaving them with destroyed clothing, damaged furniture and bloody bites and scratches that decorated their skin.

“He’s not dead. You’re going to get him back” Levi muttered to himself, swinging his legs off his side of the bed and setting them on the warm wooden floors. Crossing the floor, only stopping to pull on his warm, light grey dressing gown, heading out with the intention of drowning his sorrow in the eight thousand dollar, forty-eight year old bottle of malt whiskey that resided in his kitchen’s rather extensive liquor cabinet, only to be halted by the sound of chatter and the light coming from his living room. 

Upon further inspection, it became clear that his crew had decided to pay a visit; they lay sprawled in a pile on the floor, arms and legs strewn over one another, heads resting in laps and against shoulders, all cradling cups of tea. Their chatter ceased when they noticed Levi’s presence, all offering small piteous smiles as Levi leant against the wall, arms folded with an amused smirk on his face and head shaking with fondness. 

“What’re you all doing here? It’s the middle of the night” Levi asked.

“None of us could sleep, we were all too worried about…everything, so we figured we’d raid your fridge and watch your Netflix while you try and get some sleep” Farlan shrugged, pressing a kiss to Isabel’s head and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling him closer to his chest from her seat between his legs. 

“Erwin let us in” Mike added, jutting an accusatory thumb at the lightly shorter blonde who shrugged in a guilty-as-charged, too-bad-if-you-don’t-like-it kind of manner. 

“We saved you a cup, the tea isn’t all that hot anymore though” Isabel added, reaching from her place in Farlan’s lap to grab the teapot and teacup from its spot on the floor, pouring it and holding her arm outstretched.

Levi took the cup gratefully and sipped at it, extremely grateful for them all being there for him.

Levi traversed through the tangle of limbs and sat down next to Farlan and Isabel, rubbing her head affectionately as she rested it on his shoulder. Farlan patted his back with a sympathetic half-smile on his face and an encouraging nod of his head.

The group fell into silence, none knowing what they could do or say to the Don to help alleviate his pain, he looked entirely lost, staring down into his teacup as if he wasn’t a hundred percent sure what do with it anymore.

“Quick suggestion” Hanji suddenly called out, breaking the silence the group had lulled into “How about we stop sitting around with our thumbs up our ass and make a plan to get Eren back?” 

Levi’s head snapped up at the sound of his lover’s name, immediately becoming more awake and focused at the idea of a plan being formed to retrieve Eren from whatever hell he was in. 

“I’m open to suggestions, as long as they all involve killing Zeke” Levi said lowly and everyone murmured in agreement, offering to empty their clips into his body just for fun once they got a hold of him.

“We should talk to Petra Ral”


	5. Chapter 5

Eren could vaguely remember the sound of Levi’s voice, the thrum of a car engine and the blurred shape of what seemed to be a large dark house, hazy memories from the night prior came back in flashes, the sound of bones breaking beneath his knuckles, the countless drops of blood he had spilled, a sharp pain in the back of his neck and then paralysis. 

As he came to, a harsh white light assaulted his senses and a vile tasting liquid was poured down his throat and within minutes he succumbed to the darkness that had threatened to cloak him for the last however many hours. 

Hours later he awoke fully, the harsh light had been turned off and now the sterile room was bathed in gold as the sun rose above the Vegas city skyline, dappling Eren’s skin in colour. The sight was barely appreciated as he made an attempt to sit up, pain striking through his forehead and panic instantly gripping his chest, making it hard to breathe as he realised his wrists, ankles and across his torso were all cuffed to the bed.

Levi was nowhere to be seen which made no sense, Eren could’ve sworn he’d heard Levi’s voice last night but everything was too much of a blur to really comprehend. He felt weak and exhausted, muscles aching and the start of, what would be, a debilitating headache was forming behind his eyes. 

He pulled futilely at his restraints, trying to free himself and demand what was going on but no sooner had he tried, the door on the opposite end of the room swung open, revealing a pale blonde haired man with round spectacles and a full beard, holding a tray of food and a glass of water, a smile on his face as he sat himself on the end of Eren’s bed.

“Hello baby brother, how’re you feeling?”

‘Baby brother?’ Eren thought to himself in confusion, he had never had a brother and decided to do nothing in response, simply turning his head away with a set jaw and a deep glare, oceanic eyes turning steely with rage. All he wanted was to see Levi, he wanted to be at home, tangled in the sheets listening to his lover and Isabel bicker about which Game of Thrones character was the best or why they couldn’t have Mac’N’Cheese for the fifth night in a row. 

“Come now Eren, that’s no way to treat your family, I went through a lot to get you here”

“You aren’t my family you sick fuck. You took me away from my family, I was happy with them and you took that away from me, so you can fuck right off Four-Eyes” Eren snapped, death-staring the wall beside the bed.

Zeke let out a soft sigh and placed the tray on the bedside table, sidling further up the bed to run a hand through Eren’s hair. The brunette growled in displeasure, hating the feel of anyone but Levi laying their hands on his skin, he could barely tolerate hugs let alone such an intimate gesture from a complete stranger. 

Eren twisted his head with lightning quick precision and bit into Zeke’s hand as hard as he could, grinning bloodily as the blonde let out a pained gasp and yanked his hand away, blood flowing across his hand in small rivers.

“Oh brother dearest, why must you reject me in such a manner?” Zeke asked sadly, cradling his injured hand to his chest. 

“You aren’t my brother, you mean jack-shit to me, just let me go” Eren snarled, spitting the bloody saliva from his mouth and twisting his head back to face the wall. 

“We are half-brothers Eren, we share the same father. Your mother served as his goomah when she fell pregnant with you but my father was already married and had fathered me many years prior to that. We were kept apart because of that man; he didn’t want us to be brothers Eren. He tried to keep you from me so I put a bullet in his brain” the blonde said it as casually as if he were describing the weather outside or reading a grocery list. 

Eren stayed silent, trying to process the information, brother or not this man had abducted him and had taken him away from Levi and he refused to stand for that, the first opportunity he had, he was getting out of here, no matter how many people he had to cut down to return to his lover’s side.

“You should eat, you’ll need your strength” Zeke nodded, holding a spoonful of food to Eren’s mouth but he refused to open, not giving the blonde the satisfaction of looking after him, not after taking him away from his real family. 

“I’d tell you to shove it up your ass but the stick that’s already up there is probably taking up too much room” Eren snapped, tugging at his restraints and realizing that they were made of a sturdy leather instead of metal, for his so called ‘comfort’ Eren imagined. Although his escape seemed much easier to plan with this little bit of information in his hold. 

*** 

Petra Ral was notorious amongst mafia circles; she was a highly skilled nurse that once worked as a matron in the cities largest private hospital but after an incident that had occurred almost seven years prior, she ended up as the most sought after nurse from every mafia group in the city.

She was extremely patient, kind and damn good at her job, patching up countless mob members that had been injured in raids and disputes over territories, never asking too many questions and doing her best to save countless lives every single day. Petra was Switzerland, never choosing a group to pledge allegiance to, simply remaining as an associate member of each circle, keeping her patient’s identities a secret and keeping any information she heard to herself. 

The plan that Levi and his crew had formulated was to pay her a visit and find out if Thomas had acquired medical assistance from her from his injuries sustained the day prior; if they find him, they could find Zeke and therefore Eren. Petra was once married to a member of Levi’s squad but he had been killed in the line of duty, prompting her career change from matron to mafia nurse and for the right price, she could potentially be swain into letting slip any information she had that would lead them to Eren. 

The plan was agreed upon unanimously and his team departed from Levi’s apartment in order to gear up and dress in clothes better suited for a mission rather than a sleepover, not unless Erwin’s bunny slippers were going to help them out and had decided to rendezvous at Petra’s as soon as the time ticked over to nine in the morning, when she would first arrive at her office. 

For the first time since yesterday, Levi had hope, he was determined and had something to work towards, a semi-decent plan and a way to get Eren back because come hell or high water, anyone that continued to stand between Levi and his lover, would dearly pay the price. 

The Don set about making the arrangements for the bribery he would offer Petra, calling up every florist, nursery and gardener in the surrounding area and arranging for it all to be delivered to him by eight, a luxury that was awarded to the mafia boss considering he owned almost all of the businesses in the area. 

As sunlight filtered in through his apartment windows, Levi finished adjusting his clothes and arming himself to the teeth, sending a quick prayer to some deity he didn’t actually believe in that Eren was alive and their plan actually succeeded. 

Within the next few hours, Levi’s car was packed to the hilt with what he would offer as bribery, praying that the small fortune he’d paid would be worth it in the end and set off for Petra’s office, located smack bang in the center of each mafia’s territorial boundaries. 

His crew was already there, dressed appropriately in Kevlar and buzzing with the adrenaline that was simmering beneath their skin. 

“What took you so long shortcake?” Hanji asked, moving away from where they leaned against the car in order to sling an arm across Levi’s shoulders.

“I was collecting a bribe for Petra… speak of the devil and she shall appear” Levi uttered, glancing around Hanji to where the petite strawberry blonde woman was unlocking the door to her office, seemingly unaware of the motley crew that was parked just across the street from her. 

Levi angled his head and beckoned the others to follow, crossing the street in broad daylight and into Petra’s little office, the bell above the door tinkling as they crossed the threshold, mindful to wipe their boots on the doormat upon entry.

“Hey gingersnap, we’ve gotta talk to ya” Hanji called out, waiting for Petra to reemerge from the pantry that housed her supply of stock; medication, first aid and wound care products, the works. 

A few moments later she popped out of the pantry, nudging the door closed with her hip and gesturing with a tilt of her head for them to take a seat as she placed the myriad of items in her arms on the front desk.

Her office was actually a rather large space pertaining of two floors, patients were kept on the second floor away from prying eyes and the first floor housed her supplies, front desk and a small waiting room that was now filled with Scouts, Mike and Erwin dwarfed the space further as they stood huddled in a corner trying to make themselves appear smaller.

“What can I do for you guys?” Petra asked warmly, reaching down to pick up the fluffy white cat that came with her everywhere, scratching him under the chin and nuzzling his fur.

“We’re looking for someone…” Isabel started, mouth falling shut at the hardened stare that quickly replaced Petra’s warm demeanor. 

“We know your policy Petra, better than anyone but it’s important. This guy we’re looking for can lead us to the man that took Eren from me” Levi explained. Petra gasped, she had become especially fond of Eren during the meetings they’d shared, he was respectful, helpful and was always the one to accompany any of the Scouts if they had sustained injury, waiting by their bedside as they were treated and if they couldn’t be treated or didn’t survive, he was the one that broke the news to their families, shouldering that burden by choice. 

On numerous occasions she had found Eren singing to injured patients as a way to pass the time, sharing jokes with them or funny stories from the newspaper, no matter if they were friend or foe, never showing prejudice against them nor displaying despicable behaviour that was notorious with mobsters, while in Petra’s presence. 

“I’m prepared to bribe you, threats are a waste of time because I don’t want bad blood between us but I need to get him back Petra. I’m lost without him” Levi admitted softly, eyes softening as he stared at her pleadingly. 

Petra sighed, she was never able to deny Levi anything, not when he’d paid for her husband’s funeral, held her as she sobbed and always made sure her shop was well stocked and she couldn’t deny him, not when it came to Eren, knowing of their bond and how desperate he must be feeling to have the kid by his side again. She shook her head and threw her hands in the air in exasperation, “I want my bribe first and it’d better be damn worth it”.

Levi crooked his fingers and beckoned his crew to follow, telling Petra to stay there while they procured it. They retrieved each item from Levi’s car and returned in a single file line. In each of their arms were a variety of healing plants that were highly sought after, some were especially rare and expensive and would especially be appreciated by Petra as she could use them for her patients, preferring to use natural remedies first and foremost. 

Cradled in the arms of the Don, was a cherry blossom bonsai, an especially expensive one that he had purchased from a small Asian marketplace. It was covered in bright pink flowers that had Petra grinning from ear to ear. She had a particular weakness for bonsai plants and this one would make a stunning addition to her growing collection.

“Okay, tell me who you’re looking for” she acquiesced. 

“His name is Thomas, he’s about yea high-“ Levi raised his hand above his head, gesturing to the approximate height of the guy he’d threatened yesterday “has blonde hair and a nasty gash on his thigh”. 

Petra nodded, “He was here last night, I stitched him up and drove him to a drop off point because he could barely walk. He lives in the Beast’s district, I can give you the drop off address but I want no one to hear of this, do you understand?”

Everyone nodded and raised their right fist to their hearts, the Scout salute for a promise they would carry with them for all time and set off once they’d collected the address, Levi promising to have his people watch over Petra just in case as he walked out the door. 

The Scouts split into two teams, one heading towards the drop off point and the other doing a drive by on the streets to see if they could spot him. The Beasts owned significantly less territory than the Scouts, mostly claiming ownership of the lesser neighbourhoods meaning they had a much smaller area to search than if they were forced to search the uptown where the Scouts owned the territory.

Erwin and Mike canvassed the area for hours, as Levi, Hanji, Farlan and Isabel remained behind to watch the drop off sight in case someone else was picked up and could lead them to where Zeke was hiding Eren. Eventually, Levi couldn’t handle waiting around anymore and set off on foot, Hanji trailing after him, leaving Isabel and Farlan to keep their eyes peeled from their non-descript car. 

They were still searching by the time night had fallen and the night-goers crept out from the shadows to ensnare their customers, prostitutes now lined the streets and drug dealers hid in the deepest parts of the alleyways, selling their products to the highest payer. 

Hanji remained astute, eyes peeled on every blonde head of hair that passed them but still there was no sign of Thomas. Their feet ached and they were both slightly disheartened after they received calls from both Erwin and Farlan stating that they’d had no luck on their ends either.

It wasn’t until another hour later, when Hanji had expressed their apparently dire need to use the restroom that their luck picked up. Levi stood outside the shabby McDonald’s in the ass-end of the town, waiting for Hanji to reemerge when Thomas showed up, carting several bags of food and a tray of drinks.

Levi watched amusedly as he limped from the store to the car, wondering what moron on god’s green earth decided allowing the injured idiot to drive was a good idea and pinged a text to everyone, telling them to track his phone and that he’d found Thomas. 

Thomas was yet to notice Levi’s presence as he distributed the drinks between the front and back cup holders and placed the bags of food on the backseat, hobbling around the car to the driver’s side and sidling into the seat with small gasps of pain. Thomas let out a high-pitched squeak as the passenger-side door was pulled open in order for Levi to slide into the seat, buckling his seat belt and gun pressed to the blonde’s crotch.

“Hello Thomas” Levi smiled dangerously.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda hate this chapter so I profusely apologise if it's complete and utter garbage (◕︵◕)

Eren had to admit, Zeke was one tenacious bastard, entering into the room every few hours in an attempt to feed him or get him to drink some of the bottled water but his behaviour was confusing to say the least; he barked orders, threats and harsh words at anyone that entered the room but spoke to Eren in hushed tones and gentle words of endearment, never raising a hand to him no matter how defiant he was.

Afternoon was drawing near and Eren couldn’t help but feel slightly disheartened that Levi had still not arrived to take him home but he knew that for whatever reason he was delayed, it was because he had a plan and that it was only a matter of time before his real family arrived to rescue him.

With the affirmation in mind, the unabated tension in his body eased slightly, only to reappear once more, merely minutes later, at the sound of the door opening for the third time in only a matter of hours; the hinges emitting the same shrill grating sound that was really beginning to get on his nerves as it was pushed open. 

“How are we feeling baby brother?” Zeke asked and Eren couldn’t help but roll his eyes, wanting nothing more than to have his ankles free so he could kick the asshole in the throat. The blonde placed another tray of food and a can of soda on the bedside table, hoping that perhaps this time, he would be able to get his baby brother to eat as he would need his strength for what was to come. 

Eren sighed loudly, “I’m handcuffed to a bed, I need to use the toilet and I’m being held prisoner by some jackass that claims to be my brother… take a fucking guess as to how I’m doing”. Zeke chuckled and sat in the same place he did every time he entered the room, on the edge of the bed, facing towards the brunette and in arms reach of his face so he could stroke Eren’s hair whenever he so pleased. 

“From what I’ve heard, you don’t mind being handcuffed to Ackerman’s bed” he shrugged nonchalantly, as if the information was public knowledge.

Eren’s mouth fell open slightly in shock, lips moving to try and form a coherent response to Zeke’s statement. “How did you…?” and then it clicked “You had a rat inside the Scouts this entire time” it wasn’t a question but Zeke nodded anyway, a proud smile dawning on his lips at how quickly his little brother came to the correct conclusion. 

‘Wonderful’ Eren thought to himself “Over two years ago, I caught wind of a kid matching your description speaking with the Don of the Scouts, naturally I was desperate to find you so I sent a young man in to find out everything he could about you, I wanted to make sure it was really you and bringing you to your rightful home was almost too simple once we’d confirmed your identity”.

Guilt weighed heavy on his mind, causing his chest to ache and tears to well unbidden in his eyes; who knew how much information Zeke was in possession of regarding Levi and the rest of the Scouts, he had unknowingly put his entire family in danger, put Levi in danger. Two years is an incredibly long time to remain undetected and to hide in plain sight, gathering information to relay to a rival Don.

“We want to rule the city, Eren. The Scouts have had control for far too long and the Beasts have been forced to remain in the shadows. We had planned to destroy the Scouts brick by brick but when you formed such a bond with the Don, we knew it would be too easy to tear him down by taking away the only weakness he has; You”.

Nausea roiled through Eren’s stomach in waves, causing what little food that remained in his stomach to burn a path up his gullet. As he was unable to tilt his head correctly, Eren began to choke as vomit clogged his airway and the acid burned his throat and lungs as he tried to draw breath. Zeke swore loudly and hastily undid the left handcuff and the buckle that pinned his torso to the bed, hauling Eren sideways so he could throw up onto the floor and bringing his hand down harshly on the brunette’s back in order to force the blockage from his airway. 

Zeke pulled Eren’s hair out of his face and rubbed his back until the nausea subsided, allowing the brunette the opportunity to fumble with the other cuff and free his right hand, now it was only the ankles remaining and he could make a break for the door but he’d need a distraction.

“Water?” Eren rasped, head lolling forward onto Zeke’s shoulder in a half-hug, hating the feeling of anyone touching his skin but knew it was necessary in order to make his escape. The blonde wrapped his arms around Eren’s middle and propped him up on some pillows, pulling himself to his feet in order to leave to fetch a bottle of water. 

“Big brother?” Eren sniffled, hoping to an unknown deity that this plan, no matter how terrible it was, actually worked. Zeke’s eyes lit up like Christmas and he turned around instantly, making a questioning hum as he returned to Eren’s bedside. “Will you uncuff my ankles and cuddle me? I hate being sick. Make someone else get the water, please?” Eren let out a convincing sob, burying his face in his hands and forcing his body to well with tears.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked up at Zeke pleadingly, big oceanic eyes that looked so innocent and childlike that it was impossible to resist. He pulled the buckle undone on each ankle and lifted them up, pressing apologetic kisses to each one in a way that had Eren wanting to empty anything that remained in his stomach. Zeke pulled Eren out of the way and sat down, back propped up against the pillows and legs stretched out in front of him, patting his lap as a gesture for Eren to sit. 

Eren crawled up the bed and sat himself across Zeke’s lap, head nestling against his shoulder and knees coming up to curl against himself. One of the blonde’s arms came around his back to support him and the other rubbed supposedly soothing circles on his upper thigh and Eren soon became acutely aware of where exactly his ass was perched and made a silent prayer that Zeke wasn’t so fucked up that he’d enjoy this enough to get a hard on from it. 

Levi’s greatest weakness matched Zeke’s own; they both loved Eren fiercely, albeit in different ways and love caused people to lose the ability to think rationally, blinding them to the flaws of having such a strong attachment with the item of their affection. Zeke saw the brunette as his family and had eradicated his parents in order to get to his brother, having been raised on the belief that blood was thicker than water and that, amongst the Beasts, family could always be trusted, giving him no reason not to put his faith in Eren and his request, unseeing of the irony that he betrayed his parents’ trust by emptying an entire clip into their heads. 

Fury was white hot and spread through Eren’s veins like liquid fire, he pulled his head back from its place on his half-brother’s shoulder, eyes changing from the sparkling blue of feigned innocence to narrow and sharp, encompassing the pure rage that overtook his senses, his mouth opened as Zeke rambled on about how good an experience this was, that they were now bonding and something about how they'd rule the Beasts side by side once the Scouts were eradicated and at that, he snapped his head forward and bit down with every ounce of force he could muster, sinking his teeth into the side of Zeke’s neck, teeth tearing dully into the carotid artery at the side of the blonde’s throat, his mouth filling with blood and the arterial spray soon soaking his face, hair and clothes as the blonde let out an agonised scream, hands flying up to try and stem the bleeding, allowing Eren the freedom to escape from his lap, almost slipping in his own vomit as he ran for the door.

He wrenched the door open, wincing at the horrendous shriek of the hinges and took off, barely paying attention to which direction he ran, his footsteps thundered through the countless hallways, leaving bloody footprints in his wake as his feet were sliced open on rusted nails and shards of glass that he could scarcely feel. 

He was lightheaded and dehydrated, cursing himself for not drinking or eating for two days and hoping that he found his way out soon, attempting to focus on staying upright and moving more than the black dots that danced across his vision, threatening to drag him under. 

The building was seemingly endless, hallways splitting into countless other ones, leading to more and more spaces that were shambles; debris, empty cans of spray-paint, glass bottles, planks of wood and dead rats could be found in every hallway, room and doorway, the building stunk of decay and the charred remains of fire damage still stained the walls. He felt like a rat trapped within a maze, unknowing what fate lied before him with each corner he took but only one thought was prominent in his mind.

Levi. 

***

“So here’s what we’re gonna do Thomas, you’re gonna take me to Zeke or I’m gonna blow a hole in your body where your dick should be” Levi said casually, pulling a serve of fries from the bag of food and tucking in, hoping to fuck that the food wouldn’t give him sort sort of disease or food poisoning, humming haughtily at the fearful yet exasperated expression on Thomas’ face.

“You know what, fuck you; I’m done with your threats and your orders. You can’t just boss me around like I’m one of your pets” he snapped angrily, managing to mostly hold back the tremor in his voice and the stutter along with it, wrenching open the car door, he stormed out, slamming face first into Erwin’s chest, Mike standing close behind him, both with arms folded and domineering stances, they had their eyebrows raised and both Scouts were peering down at Thomas, intimidating him with their height as they stepped forward, silently urging Thomas to return to his vehicle and do as Levi said.

“O-on second thought…” he stuttered, buckling his seat belt and turning over the engine. 

*

Levi’s crew were dogging them with every turn they took, the black SUV only maintaining a minor distance between Thomas’ vehicle, winding through the streets of downtown Vegas into the slums and even further still, driving for a solid twenty or so minutes until finally Thomas drew the car to a stop in front of what appeared to be an old apartment building that was in no better shape than the house they’d visited two nights prior, except this one was charred black on one side, probably from arson judging by the extent of the damage.

“You seem like a decent kid so I truly am sorry about this” Levi murmured, bringing his gun down across the back of Thomas’ head, knocking him out cold, seeing no reason to actually kill the poor bastard. He slid from the vehicle and took off for the front entrance, his team; armed and hot on his heels, they drew a stop just before the doors were pushed open.

“Head in, split into teams, I want this entire building scoured until we find Eren. Kill anyone that get’s in your way”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey creampuffs, I'm finally back from the long weekend, it went on for an eternity like holy cow. I wrote this instead of unpacking and updated as fast as I could. It may be a little rough because I wanted to update to thank you for being so patient!! <3
> 
> P.S. Please don't hate me for this chapter ;-; *hides under a blanket*

The doors slammed open and soon Levi and his crew were storming the Beasts hideout, guns raised and eyes searching the darkened interior for any sign of movement. They split into three teams, each one heading off down a different hallway, covering as much ground as possible in the least amount of time, all six of them entirely determined to find the Moglie. 

Farlan and Isabel took the stairs two at a time, heading to the upper levels to search first, Levi and Hanji searched the ground and first floor and Erwin and Mike headed down into the basement and boiler room to look there.

Within minutes, cries echoed out and Beasts emerged from hidden nooks and crannies on the first floor, guns drawn and poised at the Scouts below. Farlan took aim from the second floor, taking out each Beast one by one that were aiming for Levi and Hanji while Isabel disarmed and sliced and diced her way through the Beasts attempting to stop her husbands rain of bullets that wiped out the shooters. 

“Nice shootin’ there snickerdoodle” Hanji called out from the ground, offering two thumbs up as Levi returned from scouting the rooms on the ground floor, pointing up in gesture for them to head up to the first floor to continue their search. “And nice slicing and dicing gingersnap” Hanji added with a wink and a broad grin up at the redhead who offered her own proud grin in return. 

The thundering footfalls that sounded from the upper levels signified more Beasts declining the stairs with hurried footsteps and shouts, guns raised and firing shots at random, bullets embedding themselves in the walls and pieces of furniture, in an attempt to deter the Scouts from entering in further. 

***

More hallways, more apartments, it seemed that the entire floor was a rat trap, filled with indistinguishable rooms and hallways with identical furnishings and the same moth-eaten drapery hung across every boarded window. The air was thick and suffocating with the smell of fecal matter and mould burning his throat and causing his eyes to water profusely. 

Each step was laced with pain, or it should have been but as adrenaline flooded his system both from fear and exhilaration, he could scarcely feel anything except the usual headiness that came with killing someone as it combated the agony of each step he took and the elation at being one step closer to reuniting with Levi.

A trail of crimson footprints were left in Eren’s wake, leaving a path that dotted the maze of hallways that echoed with barked orders from unfamiliar voices that were beginning to sound as if they were spoken underwater, a side effect of having nothing to eat or drink for over forty-eight hours, Eren supposed. Screams and shouts of pain resounded up the walls, filling the hallways with sounds that belonged in a horror movie; soon silenced by gunshots and thundering footfalls. 

The final corner he turned revealed a set of stairs that appeared entirely unsafe but allowed the walker the ability to descend to the ground floor of the apartment building and therefore the front exit. Rotten wood, damp from water that had dripped in through the dilapidated roof and growing a variety of different fungi that thrived in such uninhabitable environments formed the steps and the once beautiful wrought iron banister was now gnarled and orange with rust and the flight of stairs groaned each time the building settled. 

Save for the barren elevator shaft and the boarded window, the only viable means of escape was the staircase, the window would have been preferable but even he couldn’t survive the drop from the sixth floor of an apartment building onto solid concrete. 

Footsteps continued to thunder throughout the old building, entirely indiscernible as to the direction they were coming from, ricocheting off the charred and graffiti-ridden walls. Eren braced his palm along the stucco wall that hugged the right side of the staircase and began his descent down the steps, cringing with each groan and creak of the wood beneath his weight, too focused on the sounds to feel the splinters embedding themselves in the soles of his already injured feet. 

Nearing the halfway point, the sound of gunshots only grew louder yet fewer were fired, shouts of surrender were yelled from below and Eren prayed that he could slip away from the cacophony unnoticed. As he moved to take the next steps, air rushed around his ears as the floor gave away with a final groan of surrender, unable to take any more of the weight that it had relentlessly been forced to support for the years the Beasts had remained hidden within the buildings walls. 

There was too little time to scream as he dropped, body colliding with the staircase below and wind rushing out of his lungs in one fell swoop, pain radiated across his body in white hot lashes but he was too winded to scream. Pieces of wood and iron fell away and slammed into Eren’s battered body, drawing blood as they pierced his skin, simply adding to the existing injuries. 

He could scarcely draw breath, let alone cry out as hot tears fell from his eyes, running in rivers down his temples and soaking into his hair as the pain worsened. He knew something was wrong with his left leg but couldn’t lean up to see the extent of the damage and the sunlight streaming in through the gaps in the ceiling allowed him enough of a view to see his fingers as he touched them to his lips, pulling away his fingertips to show that they were now stained with scarlet.

A stream of blood trickled from the corner of his lips and black spots began to consume his vision, everything was blurred and hazy as his body began to shut down from the pain, the last thing he heard was muffled shouts of his name and a flash of red as his eyes fluttered shut.

***

A loud bang echoed throughout the building as bullets continued to rain down on the place the Scouts were last seen standing, an exercise in futility if they’d ever seen one as now they were hidden safely inside one of the abandoned apartments, safe from gunfire and kneeling it what was supposedly someone’s sleeping quarters judging by the threadbare blankets and the empty tins leftover from canned food items. Isabel and Farlan attacked with their hands, distracting the shooters in order for Erwin and Mike to resurface from the basement and for Hanji and Levi to assist them in taking out the Beasts. 

Blood ran in rivers across the floors as more and more Beasts dropped dead, arteries slashed and heads still smoking where bullets had entered their frontal lobes and exited with a clean line. Red waterfalls dripped into the exposed interior center of the building, the grimy skylight showing just how much carnage was now left behind.

Mike had taken a bullet to the arm, Farlan’s nose and Hanji’s glasses were both broken and Levi sustained a gash across his back that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip bone, the fabric of his shirt now soaked through with blood, courtesy of a cowardly attack with a rather dull blade.

They reconvened on the ground floor in order to continue their search with a better thought out plan, looking battered and bruised but at least all alive, the same could not be said for the Beasts that lay slaughtered across the expanse of the first two floors. Isabel was nowhere to be seen, still scouting the upper floors with careful steps, hunting knife drawn in defense, ready to slice anyone that deigned attack her.

A large cloud of dust was swarming around the fifth floor staircase and she bolted up the next two flights, coughing as she breathed in the dust and eyes watering, trying to make out the shape that lay shrouded in debris.

“LEVI” she screamed, knife clattering to the floor and lunging forward as she realised it was Eren. A sob left her throat at the state of him, mouth lined with red as blood slowly dripped from his lips, a nasty gash on his forehead but the worst injury was the piece of iron railing that had pierced through his left leg and out through his shin.

Levi burst up the stairs, uncaring of his injury, entire body trembling as the dust settled entirely and revealed the state his Eren was in. Sobs broke free from his throat and tears streamed down his face in waves as he crawled forward, one hand rising to gingerly stroke Eren’s cheek, fearing for the worst as he saw no movement to indicate he was breathing. 

A shaky, shallow, wet breath sounded from the battered brunette, more blood flowing free from his mouth and eyes unseeing as he pried them open, long lashes fluttering gently as he peered at Levi, unable to hear the words that were spoken or make out anything but a blurred black and white shape before he once again succumbed to the darkness. 

***

A faint thrumming sounded in his ears, body too heavy and in pain to resist as cold hands moved him as gently as possible, shifting him this way and that. People were running around in blurs of colour and spots danced across his eyes as needles pierced his skin and a mask was slipped across his nose and mouth, supplying oxygen to his system.

A bright white light shone above Eren’s head and he blinked slowly, trying to fight against the desire to fall into the darkness once more, simply needing to see Levi. Levi, where are you? What’s going on? Make the pain go away, please Levi. Levi… then everything once again went black.

***

“Petra, tell me what’s happening. Levi is in no state to handle it if its bad news. He is a complete and utter wreck right now”

“I’ve done everything I can Erwin. Eren has several broken ribs, a punctured lung, a severe concussion and his left calf was pierced clean through with a piece of iron railing. I called in some of my friends from the hospital that owe me favours and we did what we could. It’s just a matter of time now” she said sadly, hands trembling as blood stained her apron and marred her latex gloves. Eren meant a lot to her and she knew first hand what it was like to lose the love of your life and truthfully wanted nothing of the sort for Levi.

Eren was a fighter and she knew that he would do everything he could to fight and claw his way back to Levi, even if it meant selling his soul to the devil if it came down to it. Levi’s crew were bruised and bloody, sitting in solemn silence in the waiting room, unable to do anything but be supportive from a distance, as Levi sat with Eren upstairs. Even Hanji, who was always the one to try and lighten the mood, sat solemnly in the far corner, cleaning their broken glasses over and over again.

In the top floor of Petra’s office lay Eren, left leg casted, bandages and stitches covering his skin from top to bottom, lip split and eyes purple. His skin was tinted blue from the lack of oxygenation he’d suffered when his lung had been punctured and he lay motionless, alive but only just in a state of total catatonia, unresponsive and seeming as if Eren was truly gone, leaving only the shell of what he once was. 

“Eren-“ Levi’s voice cracked “ I thought you were gone… when I saw you lying on the stairs, I thought I’d lost you for good. I love you more than anything in this world and the thought of losing you terrifies me” he paused again, wiping the fresh tears from his face with an angry swipe of his sleeve “I was going to propose the night you were taken, you know? So, I need you to come back to me Moglie, I need you because without you, I am nothing, simply a shell. You keep me human, ground me, love me for the monster that I truly am so I need you to come back to me baby”. 

Levi’s fingers were enclosed around Eren’s cold hand, pressing soft kisses to the back of it as he sat hunched over the bed, salty tears dripping onto Eren’s skin as he whispered sweet nothings, refusing to leave his side ever again both in this world and the next and he would be there, by Eren’s side, for eternity. 

“I need you Eren and I’m so sorry that I let this happen. I need you to forgive me, I need to tell you I love you and hold you in my arms again… You need to come back to me, Moglie… please”


	8. Chapter 8

Three weeks came and went and still Eren showed no sign of waking. His cuts were almost completely healed and his face was no longer bruised or swollen, the only proof of his injuries were the thin purple scars that dappled his arms, torso and legs where pieces of debris had sliced his skin, the bandages on the bottoms of his feet and the thick cast that encased his left leg in order to repair and protect where the bone had been shattered by the iron bar that had pierced clean through it. 

In the meantime, Farlan had stepped up to the plate and was running the Scouts in Levi’s stead, as he was the underboss it was his job and he did so effortlessly and without question, wanting to give his boss as much time as he needed until he reclaimed the throne, so to speak.

Levi was in no shape to undertake any tasks that weren’t sitting silently by Eren’s bedside, growing more and more hopeless with each day that passed and spiraling deep into a depression at the prospect of Eren never waking up. 

Physically, it appeared to anyone on the outside that Levi was taking care of himself; shaving and showering every day, always wearing a clean suit and the same cologne he’d worn every day for the last two years. It was one Eren had bought him as a gift to commemorate their first month together and whenever it ran out, he replaced it instantly but anyone that knew Levi, could see how much he was suffering. 

Every morning, Levi was jittering nervously outside of Petra’s office, typically a half hour or so before she even arrived and each evening Petra had to call Erwin and Mike to drag him from Eren’s bedside, putting up one hell of a fight, yelling that he needed to be there in case Eren woke up but Petra was insistent that Levi needed rest and wouldn’t be any use to Eren if he ran himself into the ground. 

When he reached Petra’s, he would sit by Eren’s bed, unmoving, holding his hand and falling asleep hunched over his bed, sleeping almost peacefully now that he and Eren were together once more. The crew was terrified because this behaviour was nothing short of obsessive and definitely worrisome; beforehand, their codependency hadn’t been an issue but Levi was running himself into the ground fast.

His crew had taken up temporary residence in his apartment, taking turns sleeping between the couch, the spare bedrooms and the lounge room floor, all of them waking several times during the night as Levi screamed; suffering debilitating nightmares that left him completely exhausted by the time the sun had risen but the crew did what they could to sooth him. 

Hanji was the only person thus far who could do anything to calm him, spending most of the night tucked under the covers of Levi’s bed, laying beside him and stroking his hair until he settled back down to get a few more hours of restless shut-eye. 

They were all there in a show of support because, to them, Levi was more than their boss; he was their family and the person that had saved each and every one of them from a miserable existence prior to becoming Scouts. Levi, Isabel and Farlan had grown up together, bouncing around from orphanage to orphanage, refusing to leave one another’s sides and eventually breaking free, living on the streets, taking care of themselves and each other until Kenny tracked him down and brought him in, Isabel and Farlan in tow as Levi refused to leave them.

In a series of unforeseen events, he’d first found Hanji while visiting a women’s prison facility in order to visit some of the inmates that kept their ears peeled for information for him. She was there on account of being found out for hacking into major banks and corporations and transferring large sums of money to various charities across the United States and pulled some strings to have her released, she had made the decision to become a Scout and has since worked for Levi to become one of the best hackers in Vegas.

He’d found Mike close to starvation, living on the streets and selling drugs in the slums while on a mission with Kenny. He was impressed by the man’s razor sharp senses and the near-flawless technique he showed when trying to attack Levi in order to defend the few possessions he owned in the deepest recesses of a debris-covered alleyway. Levi had offered him a place amongst their ranks, had taken him to one of the best rehabilitation clinics in Vegas and found him somewhere to live when he got clean. 

Erwin was the son of one of Kenny’s best friends, a man known for his disastrous mood swings, despicable behaviour and the sick enjoyment he received from abusing his wife and son the moment he got a drop of liquor in him. Several times over the years, Mr Smith had dragged his son along with him to meetings and each time Erwin appeared worse; suffering from split lips, eyes purple and swollen shut, cuts, bruises and cigarette burns that littered his chest and arms. The moment Kenny had made Levi the head of the Scouts, Levi had put a bullet or seven into Mr Smith’s face without even blinking, refusing to stand aside while such behaviour went on.

As another week passed and Eren still showed no sign of waking, Levi began to tell Eren stories from his childhood. About the horrible adopted families he’d suffered through and the adventure he, Farlan and Isabel had gotten up to as children, how they’d grown up together, facing the world side by side, unstoppable, invincible and naïve to think it would last forever. 

With another week, came another seven nights filled with disrupted sleep and haunting screams that had the crew on edge with concern. Hanji took it into her own hands to voice her concerns to Petra, telling her of Levi’s erratic behaviour, the screaming, the restlessness and the night terrors he was experiencing without Eren had home.

Petra had listened to each of the crew’s concerns and made the decision to allow Eren’s treatment to continue at home, seeing no reason as to why not considering the brunette’s condition had shown no signs of either improving or worsening. With the crew’s help and a temporarily commandeered ambulance, Eren, along with his hospital bed, machines and various IV bags was transferred piece by piece into his and Levi’s bedroom. 

The hospital bed had been lowered to level with the plush king-sized mattress that was central to the large room, the railing had been disconnected and for the first night in weeks, Levi slept soundly, subconscious mind devoid of nightmares and a faint smile on his face with the knowledge that Eren was only a few feet away. 

Slowly, Levi regained his footing, taking over a large portion of his work and lightening the load on Farlan, working ceaselessly from his bedroom, making countless phone calls and dealing with countless trees-worth of paperwork while Farlan handled the face-to-face side of it without complaint.

“I’m glad everything is taking a turn for the better but has anyone gone to see about Zeke?” Isabel asked, perching herself on the foot of Levi and Eren’s bed. Levi looked up from his pile of paperwork, a look of complete fury on his face. How could he have let over a month pass without thinking about Zeke and his fate, he’d probably gotten away when they were all being fired at. Their main focus was on retrieving Eren and when they’d found him in such a bad way, they’d all taken off for Petra’s, not giving anything else a second thought.

Levi swiped his hand across the bed, the papers he was working on fluttered to the floor, scrambling through the remaining documents in search of his phone, slamming the screen with more force than strictly necessary.

“Farlan, I want you to round up any available Scouts, send them to the apartment building where we found Eren and see if they can find Zeke. I need him found dead or alive, if they find him, bring him to the Castle” Levi ordered, throwing his phone onto the mattress with a growl, feeling frustrated at himself for completely forgetting about Zeke altogether. 

The Castle referred to the abandoned cathedral in their possession that served as their cache for weapons and stolen goods and even came with a series of cells beneath the building’s foundation that were made of consecrated iron, supposedly once serving the Church as the rooms they used for particularly nasty exorcisms. 

The rest of the crew had jumped at the chance to track down Zeke, splitting into teams amongst the other Scouts and hitting the streets, searching high and low for the bastard that had taken away the Don’s Moglie. Levi had received a text from Erwin stating there was an immense amount of blood in one of the rooms on the floor Eren fell from but no sign of Zeke.

Hanji also called to tell Levi that they’d asked Petra to keep a lookout for a man fitting Zeke’s description in case he showed up at her practice, so for now it was only a matter of time before they found him. Farlan was busy with negotiations and Isabel had made the decision to look after Levi and Eren, not wanting to let either of them out of her sight.

Isabel crawled up the mattress and slung her arm across the back of Levi’s shoulders, “Big Bro, calm down, we’re gonna find Zeke, dead or alive and Eren’s gonna wake up soon, I just know it… He’ll probably wake up just to bash your brains in with the TV remote because you keep watching re-runs of House” 

Levi snorted; trust it to the redhead to make him laugh at the moment when he least felt like laughing. She swung her legs off the bed and walked around it, sitting cross-legged at the end of Eren’s bed with a sad smile, “Eren, I swear to fuck if you don’t wake up soon, I’m gonna kill you. You’re my best friend you dildo, so you’d better get your ass into gear” 

Isabel smiled down at Eren and then across at Levi who was nodding in agreement, “Yeah Eren, get your ass into gear and get the ginger out of our room, she’s driving me nuts” he joined in on the jest, lightening the mood momentarily, even with the continual beeping of the monitors and the sound of the oxygen tanks supplying Eren with air through the mask that covered his nose and mouth. 

A knock sounded at the door and Isabel was quick to get up from where she sat at the end of Eren’s bed, running through the apartment like the Hounds of Hell were chasing after her. A loud bang sounded as she collided into something before her breathless voice called out “Hey Levi, Petra is here to check up on Eren”.

Petra waved in greeting as she entered Levi’s bedroom, setting her medical bag on the bed and crossing to the side of Eren’s bed, checking over the machines as well as Eren; testing how he reacted to instruments tapped against various parts of his body, injected some type of fluid into the drip and removed the stitches from the gashes in his feet.

Levi was wringing his hands in an uncharacteristic display of nerves, praying that the outcome of Petra’s visit would be a positive one.

“Levi, I think everything will be okay. He’s responding well to the antibiotics, his wounds are healing nicely and his skin is back to its normal colour which is a good sign. I’ve removed the stitches in his feet but the cast is going to have to stay on for a while longer, his leg was really badly damaged and we had to operate on it. Eren suffered some pretty severe head trauma, so it should only a matter of time before he wakes up” she smiled encouragingly before gathering her things and hauling her bag onto her shoulder.

“Petra?” Levi called from the bed, interlacing his fingers with Eren’s and tracing idle patterns along his forearm, he looked over at her as she turned around at the sound of her name “Thank-you, for everything you’ve done for him… and for me”

Petra smiled softly “I know what it’s like to lose the love of your life and I don’t want that for you Levi. You, of all people, don’t deserve to lose the one and only person you’ve let see every part of you. So when that boy wakes up, you’d better marry him”

“I plan to” Levi smiled, averting his gaze back to Eren, eyes softening as he raised Eren’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

“He’s had the ring chosen for months, he must have dragged me to every jewellery store in Vegas before finally making a decision” Isabel chuckled, throwing a shit-eating grin over at Levi who flipped her the bird with an affectionate smile.

They said their goodbyes and Petra departed, declining the invitation of staying for lunch, saying she had several patients to attend to now that Eren was no longer in her direct care and had a supply drop-off arriving that she’d need to be there to receive.

“Did you hear that Levi? Eren’s gonna be okay” Isabel shrieked, tackling Levi into a hug, causing both of them to fall backwards onto the bed, laughing in relief and too overjoyed to care about anything else for the time being, reveling in the knowledge that Eren would come back to him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so short ugh (.-.)  
> I hope it's okay though <3

The afternoon had been spent with his sister, eating far too much pizza from the authentic Italian pizzeria on the corner and watching re-runs of Gossip Girl, much to Levi’s chagrin, figuring it wasn’t worth complaining about and risking his manhood as Isabel threatened to cut it off if he dared put House back on so he sat without issue, one hand holding a slice of pizza, the other interlace with Eren’s. 

As the moon began to rise above the city skyline, it was quite a sight to behold even with the light pollution and the smog that blanketed the city of Las Vegas, it’s bright white light added to the hues of orange and the neon lighting from the Strip that shone through the window and bathed the room in a kaleidoscope of colour, dappling Eren’s skin in a rainbow of fragmented light. 

If Eren could see him now, what would he think? Would he think Levi weak for barely being able to cope in his absence? Would he laugh at the fact that he, the Don of the Scouts, a man revered for his fierceness and will, was now the broken shell of a man that was simply going through the motions, trying to replicate some semblance of normalcy while his lover lies motionless being monitored by machines and kept alive by fluids that were administered intravenously? 

The sound of his name being called and the snap of fingers in front of his face drew Levi from his thoughts, glancing up dazedly at Isabel who had an expectant look on her face. “Sorry Isabel, what did you say?” Levi asked, trying to ignore the ache in his chest as the unwanted thought of what Eren would think of him should he awaken, or if he ever would awaken. 

“I said, I’ll look after Eren so you can get your stinky ass in the shower before I stun-gun you in the dick” she repeated, poking her tongue out cheekily and shooing Levi off the bed with flicks of her hands, trying to usher him into the bathroom for some much needed relaxation. 

Levi was the one who took her and Farlan in when they were children, he always made sure that they had food to eat and somewhere safe to sleep, protected them each night, taught them how to fight and served as Farlan’s best man on their wedding day, so as recompense, she vowed to do everything in her power to make things easier on Levi with the amount he was going through. 

Levi groaned as he dragged himself to his feet, ruffling Isabel’s hair in silent thanks and crossing the bedroom to kiss Eren’s forehead, murmuring to him that he’d back soon before grabbing some fresh towels out of the linen closet in the hallway and padding into his and Eren’s ensuite bathroom.

It was an obnoxiously large space with pristine black and white tiles that lined the floor and the lower half of the walls, a soaker tub resided in the furthermost corner, a double sink ran alongside the wall to the right of the door, complete with elegant copper fixtures and a large mirror that made the space seem infinitesimal. Levi’s favourite aspect of the bathroom was the shower, a rather grand affair that came complete with a tiled bench seat, a rain-shower head and copper fixtures that matched those at the sinks. 

He smiled fondly at the shower, reminiscing of the times he and Eren had made love slowly underneath the spray of water, re-exploring each and every plain of one another’s bodies, fingers tracing absentmindedly across scars that told of the life they lived and the times when they smeared dirt and blood across the pristine white surface of the tiles as they fucked rough and animalistic, too high and desperate for one another after shedding the blood of those who stood defiantly against them, leaving them both with deep, bloody scratches, brutal bite marks and dark bruises the next morning.

Levi shook his head to clear it of such thoughts, knowing they would only lead to the heavy feeling of guilt and dejection, gathering his soaps and hair products from the cupboard beneath his side of the sink before pulling open the glass door of the shower, reaching in to turn to the copper taps in order to start the flow of hot water and replacing the old towels with the clean ones, tossing them into the hamper. 

He stripped out of his clothing with concise movements, taking care to fold what could be re-worn and add the clothes that needed to be washed to the hamper. After adjusting the temperature until it felt bearably hot, he stepped under the spray, sighing contentedly as the water ran in rivulets down his skin, easing the tension in his shoulder as he rolled his neck, grimacing at the loud crack that sounded at the movement. 

There were so many thoughts on Levi’s mind, causing his head to ache as he pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes with a tired groan. He would give anything to have Eren back with him, just lost in each others arms as they shower together. Craving the sound of Eren’s laugh when he threw the soap-covered loofah at Levi’s head and the contented hums he’d emit when Levi washed his hair for him with the utmost care, as if Eren were a doll that could fall to pieces in the raven’s hands. 

Levi had been standing under the spray for over ten minutes before pulling his head from the clouds, bending at the waist to retrieve the bottle of shampoo and squeezing a small amount into his outstretched palm, rubbing them together before lathering it into his hair.

He lost himself to the rhythm of lathering his hair, nails scraping gently over his scalp as he massaged the shampoo into the inky strands, washing it thoroughly and mind going blissfully blank with the repetitive motions, tuning out anything and everything around him. Eventually, Levi stepped back, tilting his head to allow the water to flow over his soapy locks, dragging his fingers through his hair to cleanse it of the lather and startling at the sound of his name finally breaking through his reverie. 

“LEVI, LEVI GET OUT HERE NOW, IT’S EREN” Isabel yelled at the top of her lungs. Levi moved faster than the speed of sound, almost tripping on the edge of the shower as he shoved open the glass door, thankfully having the sense to grab a hold of one of the towels, wrapping it around his waist as he sprinted from the bathroom, leaving the shower running and dripping water across the tile expanse, almost slipping twice.

He slammed open the bathroom door and into his and Eren’s bedroom, barely feeling as his toes collided with the foot of the bed, heart racing as he feared the worst as he blinked the water and soap out of his water, literally skidding to a halt beside Eren’s bed. He looked over at Isabel who was jittering excitedly, a wide grin on her face as she bounced up and down like an excited puppy. 

A small cough dragged his attention from his sister to the brunette. “Eren?” Levi asked hopefully, trying to hold at bay the tears that threatened to fall and letting out a soft gasp as vibrant viridian eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking a few times to adjust to the light as it hit his eyes. He turned his gaze over to the man standing by his bedside and blinked a few times more, a tired smile on his face. 

“Who’re you? You’re pretty hot” Eren rasped, smiling softly as he took in the form of the raven-haired man standing before him, dripping wet, shampoo still in his hair and towel hanging loosely and low on the sharp juts of his hipbones. Levi’s heart stuttered in his chest and he felt nausea roll through his stomach in waves, he could scarcely breathe. It couldn’t be true, he couldn’t only just now have his Eren back, only to find out he has no memory of their life together. 

“Just kidding Levi” the brunette chuckled, before triggering a fit of coughing that had his muscles clenching in his stomach and the raven haired man’s jaw to drop open in shock as Isabel started laughing, her own eyes brimming with tears as she excused herself to call the crew and tell them the news and also to give Eren and Levi some much needed privacy.

“Oh you’re a fucking asshole” Levi growled, tears streaming down his face as he bent at the waist, pulling Eren into a bone crushing hug before tugging the oxygen mask over his face and pressing their lips together. Eren’s lips were cold and chapped but Levi wouldn’t change it for anything in the world, his back was beginning to ache from being bent at such an angle and his lungs felt like they were screaming but he couldn’t let go, not yet, not when those lips were against his after so long, not when the love of his life was finally with him once more.

When the ache in their lungs grew too great, they finally separated, foreheads resting against one another as they panted, tears falling down their faces as they cried, the raven in a state of disbelief that they were reunited once more and just when he’d begun to lose all hope. 

“I love you so much” Eren whispered.

“I love you more Moglie. God, you had me worried, I thought I was going to lose you and we had no idea if you were going to wake up” Levi murmured, interlacing his fingers with Ere’s and pressing another soft kiss to his lips. 

“It made me realise that without you, I am nothing Eren... You make my life worth living and there is nowhere in this universe that you could go where I wouldn’t follow. Almost losing you has really opened my eyes to the fact that I don’t want to live in a world where you aren’t by my side, so, Eren Jaeger, would you do me the extraordinary honour… of marrying me”

**Author's Note:**

> Words used in the fic can be found in this glossary, I used mostly this for a guide so any that aren't correct I blame my laziness to google more thoroughly
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_Mafia-related_words


End file.
